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EPL Round 1: Winners and losers

Louis van Gaal (Paul blank / Wiki Commons)
Roar Guru
19th August, 2014
8

For fans of the English Premier League, not even a brilliant World Cup in Brazil could make the off-season any less painful a wait.

This season started with a bang, as Manchester United, full of hope under new manager Louis van Gaal, went down 2-1 to Swansea City at Old Trafford.

There was at least one goal per game, meaning there were no deflating nil-all draws, and no game was decided by a margin or more than two goals, meaning there were no blow-outs.

Amazingly, only two home sides managed to win, a stat that is unlikely to be repeated this season.

Below is a look at the winners and losers of the opening round, including this week’s big win, and big loss.

Winners: The big two in blue
Dominant wins from the two favourites to battle it out for this year’s title, Chelsea and Manchester City, sent a message to the rest of the league.

Chelsea overcame an early scare to score three quality goals against brave Burnley, while defending champions City were great value for their two-nil win at Newcastle.

Some experts in the media are already saying this will be a two horse race, although I expect Arsenal to have some say. There are 37 rounds to go, but the sheer talent in both of these squads mean it could be a blue one-two this season.

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Which way they end up, at this stage is anyone’s guess.

Losers: Burnley official program
A copy of the Burnley official program indicated that they’ve perhaps been away from the top league for too long as they misspelled the names of Chelsea plays Petr Cech, John Obi Mikel, Filipe Luis and Cesar Azpilicueta.

To be fair, I challenge anyone to spell the Chelsea left back’s name without hitting up Google. That said, surely a Google search was not beyond those responsible for editing and printing an official top-flight program. There will be worst gaffes this season, but this one is worth a laugh.

Winners: The fans
What an opening round of Premier League action. We saw upsets, late winners, brilliant goals and some beautiful football. Serie A and Primera Liga play host to some of the world’s most amazing players and clubs, but there is no league quite like the Premier League.

The World Cup was a nice little break up in what almost seems like a massive off-season, however nothing can replace week-to-week club football at the top level.

Quality players such as Alexi Sanchez, Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas have joined the competition, meaning an even higher quality product this season.

Losers: Everton
Everton are a team with expectations of a top-six finish this season, however a draw away to Leicester City was not the opening day result they were expecting. A late goal to Chris Wood earned the Foxes a point they probably should never have been entitled to.

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Massive summer signing Romelu Lukaku, who starred for the Evertonians last season, failed to make the most of a few half-chances. Everton simply could not turn a 63/37 per cent possession advance into three points in a game they would have expected to win.

Hardly season over for Everton, but the race for the Europa League spots this season could be the hottest in many seasons.

Winners: Southampton
This one may sound a little strange considering they ultimately lost 2-1 to Liverpool, however despite a quick-fire sale of the club’s stars, coincidently mostly to Liverpool, the squad showed more than enough to suggest a promising season ahead.

The Saints cashed in on their amazing 2013/14 season, selling stars Luke Shaw (United), Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren and Ricky Lambert (all Liverpool) as well as Calum Chambers (Arsenal) for a massive profit.

The money looks as though it has been very wisely, as the 2-1 loss to Liverpool could have very easily been a 2-1 win such was their performance.

Winners: Swansea
Despite finishing a very respectable 12th last season, very few gave the Welsh side much of a hope of pulling off a shock result at the home of the most successful side in Premier League history, Manchester United.

But shock they did, as a 72nd minute goal to Gylfi Sigurdsson sent travelling Swansea fans into raptures and silenced the Old Trafford crowd. Frustratingly for fans of the Red Devils, they managed fourteen shots to five, although only managed five shots on goal, to Swansea’s four.

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For those playing a long at home, the only true stat that matters was that which read 2-1 to the Swans.

Big loss: Manchester United
Swansea’s amazing 2-1 win was not the start incoming boss Van Gaal would have been hoping for. The fact his team did not fight harder, at home, to not only draw level but push for a win, would be far more worrying than the result itself.

The feeling coming from fans of the red side of Manchester is that the current squad simply cannot challenge for the title, and reinforcements are needed. The club remains linked with Real Madrid star Angel Di Maria, and if the opening fixture of the season is a look into Man United’s fortunes this season, they should meet whatever valuation Real Madrid put on the Argentine.

Big win: Cesc Fabregas
What a ball! What a move! What a goal!

I’m calling it right now, you will not see a better pass this season in the EPL, or anywhere for that matter, such was the sheer class of the Spaniard’s assist to Andre Schurrle.

A beautiful, free-flowing play, full of one-touch football saw what will be one of the goals of the season, en route to a 3-1 opening round win for the Londoners.

Fabregas recorded a second assist later in the first half when his corner was met by Branislav Ivanovic to put the title favourites two goals clear.

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The Spaniard showed national boss Vicente del Bosque just what he missed in the World Cup by leaving the Chelsea number 4 on the bench for extended periods of the competition.

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